Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman changed its name to Wisner Baum in January 2023.

Cymbalta Withdrawal

Cymbalta® Withdrawal

What is Cymbalta Withdrawal?

Cymbalta

Cymbalta withdrawal refers to the symptoms a person experiences when they stop taking Cymbalta, also called discontinuation-emergent adverse events (“DEAEs”).

The frequency of Cymbalta withdrawal is associated with a drug’s “half-life.” The term “half-life” means the amount of time it takes for half of the drug to be eliminated from the body after one stops taking it. In his book, The Antidepressant Solution, Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a clinical instructor in psychiatry Cymbaltaat Harvard, explains that “the frequency with which antidepressants cause withdrawal reactions correlates with how short their half-lives are.” When a drug has a short half-life, the drug begins to exit the patients system very quickly, and that sudden depletion of the drug in the patient’s body, leads to withdrawal. Conversely, drugs that have a long half-life, leave the body gradually and generally have less frequent and severe withdrawal effects.

Common side effects of Cymbalta withdrawal:

  • Extreme mood swings
  • Agitation and/or irritability
  • Aggression
  • Nightmares and/or sleep disturbance
  • Confusion
  • Diarrhea
  • Vertigo
  • Dizziness and/or light-headedness
  • Headache and/or migraines
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Excessive sweating
  • Memory and concentration difficulties
  • Suicidal thoughts (ideation)
  • Suicide attempts
  • Self-mutilation
  • Hallucination and/or sensory disturbances
  • Tremors
  • Seizures
  • Fatigue
  • Lethargy
  • Flu-like symptoms (abdominal discomfort, weakness, etc.)
  • Body zaps – electronic shock-like sensations in body (not in head)
  • Brain zaps – electric shock-like sensations in head

Cymbalta Half-Life

Cymbalta has an extremely short half-life of about twelve hours. This means that, on average, when taking Cymbalta, half of the drug leaves the patient’s system within twelve hours. This is an extremely fast rate. And, among antidepressants, Cymbalta is the second fastest. With such a short half-life, you would expect Cymbalta users to experience very high rates of withdrawal effects. You would also hope that the manufacturer of Cymbalta would properly warn patients and their physicians about this serious risk through the drug label and in Cymbalta advertising.

We are no longer accepting Cymbalta cases.

How Severe are Cymbalta Withdrawal Effects?

According to Lilly’s own clinical trials, in many cases, Cymbalta withdrawal reactions were moderate to severe. In the short term trials, one out of every ten patients experienced severe reactions. In one 52-week trial, at least one in six patients was severely affected. In another study, 25% of those who experienced withdrawal effects had severe reactions.

In 2008, the Annals of Clinical Psychiatry published a report of a 26-year-old woman who was so traumatized by the nausea, dizziness, and “electric shocks inside the head” when she tried to withdraw from Cymbalta that she requested to be put on another antidepressant immediately and “expressed a real fear of having these shock-like reactions again.” The authors observed that, “Antidepressants with a short half-life tend to be associated with a significant rate of DEAEs and a higher severity level” (emphasis added).

Cymbalta withdrawal effects, including extreme mood swings (anger, irritability), debilitating brain zaps, and physical and neurological problems, can be severe and extend for weeks and even months. The volume of patient complaints and the severity of the symptoms reported on multiple websites (including on such websites as the People’s Pharmacy and Depression Forums) leaves little doubt about the seriousness of Cymbalta withdrawal. In many patients, Cymbalta creates what amounts to a physical dependence that makes it nearly impossible to quit taking the drug.

How Long Does Cymbalta Withdrawal Last?

Like with any patient, the time it takes for a patient to stop experiencing withdrawal depends on the patient. According to Lilly’s own analysis of the Cymbalta studies, after a two week withdrawal period, over 50% of patients were still experiencing withdrawal side effects. Just how long the withdrawal effects lasted for those patients is unknown because Lilly never evaluated the effects of Cymbalta withdrawal beyond two weeks. This means patients and doctors have no idea just how long Cymbalta withdrawal could last.

Lilly’s conduct with respect to Cymbalta withdrawal is particularly suspect given that it was Lilly that orchestrated a campaign to promote Prozac as superior to other competing antidepressants such as Paxil and Zoloft based on the fact that Prozac had a long half-life and, thus, less frequent or severe withdrawal symptoms. While Lilly conducted studies in the 1990s comparing withdrawal rates of Prozac against other antidepressants in order to illustrate how much better Prozac was compared to the other antidepressants, Lilly never conducted similar studies of Cymbalta. Lilly knew, based on its research regarding Prozac, that with Cymbalta’s very short half-life, the drug would no doubt be associated with a high rate of withdrawal symptoms.

We are no longer accepting Cymbalta cases.

Contact Us Today

No Fees Unless We Win
  • Please enter your first name.
  • Please enter your last name.
  • +1
    Please enter your phone number.
    This isn't a valid phone number.
  • Please enter your email address.
    This isn't a valid email address.
  • Please enter your city.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please enter a message.
  • Pharmaceutical Settlement $105 Million Settlement

    Wisner Baum obtained $105 million on behalf of multiple clients involved in a pharmaceutical negligence case.

  • Paxil Pediatric Class Action $63 Million Settlement

    $63 million pediatric class action re false promotion of Paxil. Judge approves final terms of improved national pediatric paxil class action settlement – consumers get a better deal.

  • Third-Party Payer Class Action $40 Million Settlement

    $40 million third-party payer class action re off-label promotion of Paxil. Judge approves $40 million settlement in the second phase of national pediatric paxil class action – insurance companies to be reimbursed.

  • Defective Drug Class Action $28 Million Settlement

    $28 million Paxil defective drug class action. A class action has been brought in the US territory of Puerto Rico against UK-based drug major GlaxoSmithKline.

  • Celexa-Lexapro Pediatric Class Action $10 Million Settlement

    $10 million pediatric class action re false promotion of Celexa and Lexapro. Babies born to women who have used Lexapro and other similar medications such as Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac, Paxil, and Symbyax are at an increased risk for birth defects.

  • Drug Injury $9 Million Settlement

    Wisner Baum obtained a $9 million settlement on behalf of an individual who was injured by a drug.

  • Best Law Firms 2023
    Best Law Firms 2023

    A ranking in The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” is widely regarded by both client and legal professionals as a significant honor. It is considered the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.

  • The Truck Safety Coalition
    The Truck Safety Coalition

    Wisner Baum is proud to be a sponsor of The Truck Safety Coalition, a a group of caring individuals dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck-related crashes. Our support enables them to help families and save lives.

  • California Powerhouse
    California Powerhouse

    Law360 recognizes law firms that have a strong regional presence, working on important matters within their home state. “[Wisner Baum] possesses a David v. Goliath-sized slingshot while seeking justice for everyday citizens it believes were harmed or killed through corporate wrongdoing.”

  • Elite Trial Lawyers
    Elite Trial Lawyers

    NLJ and American Lawyer Media honor law firms and attorneys as Elite Trial Lawyers for their cutting-edge legal work on behalf of plaintiffs in practice areas ranging from mass torts to securities litigation.

  • Listed in Best Lawyers
    Listed in Best Lawyers

    Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.

  • AV Top Ranked Law Firm
    AV Top Ranked Law Firm

    Less than one-half of one percent of firms across the nation have achieved this ranking. A firm must have a high percentage of lawyers who have achieved the prestigious AV® Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell®.

  • Verdicts Hall of Fame
    Verdicts Hall of Fame

    The National Law Journal inducted Wisner Baum into the Verdicts Hall of Fame for obtaining the $2 billion landmark verdict in the Roundup cancer case of Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto. The verdict was #1 in California and #2 in the U.S. in 2019 and is #9 in American history.

  • Super Lawyers
    Super Lawyers

    Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

  • National Trial Lawyers Top 100
    National Trial Lawyers Top 100

    The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 recognized the law firms of Wisner Baum, the Miller Firm and Audet & Partners with the 2019 Trial Team of the Year award (in the Mass Torts category) for their work in the groundbreaking case of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson v. Monsanto Company.

  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
    AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated

    An AV® rating reflects an attorney who has reached the heights of professional excellence. The rating signifies the highest legal ability, and very high adherence to professional standards of conduct, ethics, reliability, and diligence.

  • Avvo 10.0 Rating
    Avvo 10.0 Rating

    Wisner Baum is proud to have all of its lawyers listed in Avvo, a legal directory connecting people in need of legal services with lawyers and connecting lawyers to lawyers. Eight of our attorneys have earned a 10.0 perfect rating with Avvo.

  • Top Jury Verdict in <br> CA and USA
    Top Jury Verdict in
    CA and USA

    TopVerdict.com ranks our $2 billion verdict in Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto as the biggest verdict in California and the second largest verdict in the U.S. in 2019. It is the ninth largest verdict in U.S. history.

  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
    Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers

    Published annually, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list recognizes the “best of the best” in this area of the law through nominations, research, and review by a board of their peers.

  • Product Liability Practice Group of the Year
    Product Liability Practice Group of the Year

    In 2020, Law360 honored the law firms ”behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry.” It recognized our success in several landmark cases.

  • Top Personal Injury Jury Verdict in California
    Top Personal Injury Jury Verdict in California

    In 2018, our $289 million Johnson v. Monsanto verdict was the largest personal injury verdict in California. TopVerdict.com also ranked it #2 among all verdicts in California and #10 in the nation.

  • Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
    Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers

    The Bar Register is the definitive guide to the most distinguished law firms in America. It includes only those select law practices that have earned the highest rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and have been designated by their colleagues as preeminent in their field.

/

Firm Reviews

What Our Clients Are Saying
  • I Can’t Imagine a Better Law Firm

    “Multiple lawyers recommended Wisner Baum to me and I have been consistently impressed with the quality of their work.”

    - Best Law Firms Survey
  • They Are About Changing the Systems...

    “Wisner Baum are not only amazing attorneys but more importantly, they are activists. They are about changing the systems which got us into trouble in the first place. They understand their role in the process of making change.”

    - Kim Witczak
  • Top Legal Minds in the Country

    “The Wisner Baum firm has some of the top legal minds in the country; they are driven, determined, trustworthy, ethical and passionate.”

    - From Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms
  • Diligent & Professional Representation

    “Thanks to your efforts I was able to recover from a tragic experience and turn my life around for the best.”

    - W.T.
  • Our Best Interest Was Always Number One on Your List

    “A special thank you to your Spanish-speaking staff for the extra effort put into this case. The language barrier was never a problem, and we are so very thankful to them. Your name holds much respect in our family.”

    - G.C. & C.C
/